Howlin (LP)

Jagwar Ma

Amoeba Review

08/12/2013

Between Jagwar Ma, Pond and Tame Impala, Australia is poppin' with great psychedelic rock bands. Jagwar Ma are the latest heady export from down under, and their debut record, Howlin, remagines the Madchester sounds of The Happy Mondays and The Stone Roses for the millennial set, with more of a bargain bin approach to their sound collage. The band adeptly layers Britpoppy vocals atop of one another until they spiral nearly out of control on "What Love." "Uncertainty" starts with a minimal funk bassline like The O'Jays' "For the Love of Money" and builds that out into a sunny, psych-dance jam. "That Loneliness" springs into step with a Motown beat that breaks with the rest of the album but somehow fits, like they're just spinning their favorite records into a seamless set. They let loose for the ravey "Four," one of the tracks that you could see being spun in clubs, though many of the duo's songs lend themselves to the remix treatment. "Backwards Berlin" is a bit of Animal Collective-style ambient loveliness that closes the album out and feels like a sweet comedown. Though its tonal shifts seem jarring on paper, in practice, Howlin flows beautifully. It's a fully formed set, more concerned with crafting solid songs and memorable melodies than it is in fitting in with one particular style or scene.